The Golden Hour

The Golden Hour In Galilee (Rhode Island)

Duang and I have been in the USA for seven months now.  Caring for my parents takes up most of our time but on occasions we do get out for a few hours.  I am not able to take as many or the types of photographs that I prefer back in Southeast Asia.  Here in the USA people are more sensitive and suspicious of having their photograph taken; and even more so of photographs of their children!  Back in Thailand and Laos, people are honored to have you take their photograph and even more so photographs of their children.   Up until around 1999, the vast majority of my photographs were of landscapes and animals with perhaps as little as 5% being of people.  Now, outside of the USA, 90% of my photos are of people.

Saturday, Duang and I drove over to the Washington County Fair in nearby Rhode Island.  I wanted Duang to experience a quasi-rural county fair.  I brought along my camera gear in anticipation and hopes of getting some photographs.  The Fair was nice but after about two hours, Duang was a little intimidated by the amount of people and was tired.  I had taken only 6 pictures and was quite conscious that the few people that I would consider photographing were not all that willing to be subjects.  Undeterred we moved on to Plan "B".

On previous trips to the area, we had toured some of the areas that I had frequented during my years at the University of Rhode Island but we had yet to spend any time at the local fishing villages.  Plan "B" was to drive down to Galilee, have some dinner, and take some photographs during the "Golden Hour" which is sometimes referred to as the "Magic Hour"  If I could not take photographs of interesting people, I would fall back on to what I used to shoot ... landscapes and work on some portraits of my willing model Duang.

The "Golden Hour" is roughly the time just after the sun rises in the morning or the time just before the sun sets in the evening.  It is at this time that the sun is low on the horizon which produces a much softer and more diffuse light than the midday sun.  During the "Golden Hour", shadows are not as dark or as sharp as during the other times of the day.  The light is also warmer with more of a reddish hue.  This time is also a time when magic can occur.





Nossa Senhora do Carmo By Day, Ouro Preto, Brasil

The strongest example of the magic that I have experienced occurred in Ouro Preto (Black Gold), Brasil in November 2000.  Ouro Preto is a colonial mining town located in the state of Minas Gerais.  It is the location where gold was first discovered in Brasil. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Center.  It is a beautiful and fascinating place to visit and even more so; to photograph.
The center of town is dominated by many large colonial structures one of them being the church, Igreja Nossa Senhora do Carmo.  The church is covered in stucco which like the concrete structures of Asia develops an unattractive "patina" of soot, smoke, mold and mildew making the buildings a dull light grey with streaks of black if they have not been recently power washed.  It is what it is.  However it can be at times marvelous especially during the "Golden Hour" when everything is magically transformed.




Igreja Senhora do Carmo During the "Golden Hour"


I had been walking about the city all afternoon long with my wife when we were headed into the center of town to have dinner before grabbing a taxi to our possada on the outskirts of town.  Walking the streets of Ouro Preto can be a challenge.  The town is very hilly, some of the streets are quite steep, and many of the streets are cobble stoned.  Along with the elevation of 1,100 meters (3,400 ft) and heat, these factors all contribute to tiring you out.  As we were crossing over a small stone bridge during the "Golden Hour" just prior to making our way up to the city center, I saw Nossa Senhora do Carmo unlike anytime before during our stay.  It was completely bathed in gold - golden light.  It was awesome.  Since my wife was tired I had her sit on a bench placed on the bridge, while I hustled up the steep street to get a better perspective for photographing the sight.  I ended up taking 7 pictures.  Seven pictures?  At the time I was shooting film so I was much more prudent in the number of photos that I took than today with my digital cameras.  After taking the seven shots, I excitedly returned to where my wife was waiting.  I described how beautiful the scene was and when I turned around to point out the golden scene, the light was already gone.  My "Igreja D'Ouro" (Church of Gold) had transformed with the dying of the light into a cold drab bluish grey building.  The entire metamorphosis from a light grey black streaked building to a golden shrine and then to a cold drab bluish grey structure had taken about 15 minutes.  Although the magical time is referred to as the "Golden Hour" it is not exactly an hour because of location and locale.  Because Ouro Preto is closer to the equator and because it is so hilly, the magic lasts much less than an hour.

"Igreja d'Ouro"

Eleven years later back in the USA, I had no expectations of capturing the magic of Ouro Preto but I was looking forward to seeing what could be made from the "Golden Hour" in Galilee, Rhode Island.  Like most places and all people, a great deal has changed in the 40 years since I left the area.

Where fishing boats used to command center stage in the center of the port, the two Block Island ferries, one traditional and the other high speed, dominate the port as well as surrounding land.  George's Restaurant is still at the mouth of the port serving up their famous chowder and fritters along with other seafood fare.  The restaurant is much larger than I remember and I am certain that wait staff are children and grandchildren of the staff that I was familiar with.  A great surprise was despite the cost increases, the food was better than I remembered and the best clam fritters that we have had since we arrived in America.

After our dinner we drove down to the edge of town where the fishing boats now are docked.  It was around 6:50 PM and it was a perfect time.  Other than a few people boarding charter vessels for night fishing excursions, we had the docks to ourselves and the sea gulls.  There was no one around to tell us what we could not do.  There was no one around to look out for us and to question our intentions or motives.

Duang and I walked along the various docks enjoying the sights and smells of a working fish dock.  I took some photos of moored boats and other things.  As in Brasil the "Golden Hour" was also a "Magic Hour".  The low sun was transforming ordinary things into extraordinary sights.  The diffuse warm light enhances the colors and textures.  I took some photographs of  a pile of fishing gear on the dock - a mundane subject if under the harsh light of the afternoon sun but very interesting under the soft light.

Duang was enjoying the moment by taking her own photographs with her camera.  We were on the dock that service boats with ice when I got the idea to take some portraits of Duang, my always willing model.  With the limited opportunities to take my documentary style photographs of people, I have been looking into learning more about studio lighting for portraits.  I have researched renting a studio and studio lighting as well as attending a class related to studio lighting hopefully in the near future.

In some aspects the available light on the dock in Galilee was the type of light photographers work to create in the studio artificially.  I decided to try some techniques out, after all it was free and I enjoy photographing Duang.

Duang In Galilee ... Galilee, Rhode Island

Duang On The Dock Of the Bay, Galilee

Duang Enjoying the "Golden Hour"

We spent 25 minutes photographing and enjoying the summer evening.  Around 7:15 PM the light quality was diminishing rapidly.  It was time to head on home.

It Is All About the Light

Our afternoon out had worked out very well.  Just as often the case is in life, things did not go as we had hoped or expected.  Just as in life we adapted and made the most of the opportunities that did present themselves.

In photography, we are all presented with the opportunities and magic of the "Golden Hour".  If you can get outside, it is there for you everyday and for free.  You may not be able to take the exact photographs that you typically do, but you can learn to broaden your perspectives and enlarge your focus - a worthwhile endeavor and pleasant way to spend any evening.

Now Showing ...

Sawasdee Thai International Restaurant, Groton CT

It is now official and available for viewing ... the first public display of some of my photographs.

Seven of my photographs, selected by the restaurant owner, are now on display at the Sawasdee Thai International Restaurant, 764 Long Hill Road, Groton CT in the Groton Plaza Shopping Center and will remain there for six months.

The frames, backboards, acrylic, and mats arrived on Thursday afternoon from Documounts in Portland, Oregon.  I was extremely impressed with the packaging of the items that I had ordered for this exhibit. All items were well protected and arrived in pristine condition.

Duang assisted me in assembling the metal frames, and mounting the photographs, which had arrived the previous week from Adorama in New York City.  The afternoon went by quickly as we assembled three sides of the metal frames, attached the selected photograph to the black archival mat, removed the paper backing from both sides of the standard acrylic sheet, inserted the acrylic sheet into the frame followed by the matted photograph and then the archival foam board before finally installing the last piece of the frame along with mounting hardware - all the while ensuring that no fingerprints or debris were captured in the process.



"Bent At The Waist" 2009
12"x18", Black Mat, Black Metal Frame



"Lao Loum Labor" 2008
12"x8",  Black Mat, Black Metal Frame



"Duangchan and Family Planting Rice" 2009
12"x18", Black Mat, Black Metal Frame



"Ma Jon and Mother" 2006
12"x8", Black Mat, Black Metal Frame



"Garlic Harvesters of Ban Huai Phueng" 2009
12"x8", Black Mat, Black Metal Frame



"Isaan Songkran Fun" 2010
12"x8", Black Mat, Black Metal Frame

"Ubon Ratchathani Dancers In the Rain" 2010
12"x8", Black Mat, Black Metal Frame

Yesterday afternoon, between the lunch and dinner servings, Duang and I brought the framed works to the Sawasdee Thai International Restaurant to show to Tai, the owner to ensure that the works were acceptable.  She was very pleased and wanted me to hang the photos right then and there.  I drove back to my parent's home to gather the tools to hang the photos ... tape measure, framing square, plumb bob and line, hammer and level.  Walking back into the restaurant with the tools, I felt like I was back in my old days as an apprentice pipefitter some 44 years ago.

I had previously made a scale drawing of the available space and had developed a layout for the photographs so the task at hand was to locate the points for hanging each frame on the wall.  Once again Duang was most helpful and supportive in assisting me to complete the task.  We were both very happy with the end result.  The owners and staff at the restaurant were very pleased also and complimentary.  The display meets the goal of Thai life - "Good for you.  Good for me".

I have a public venue to share and perhaps sell some of my work.  The restaurant has a complimentary addition to their decor.

After hanging the photographs, we returned home to make dinner for my parents.  We then returned to the restaurant to have an intimate dinner - just the two of us; a rare and most welcomed occurrence for us.  Naturally we selected the table across from the photo display.  The food, as always, was excellent.

Photography Exhibit Update

"Bent At The Waist"

A while back, actually almost 3-1/2 months ago, I wrote about being inspired as well as encouraged to develop a photography exhibit of some of my work.  I have not given up on that endeavor and I have been busy developing and redefining my original concept.

A local business has offered me some space to display some of my photographs and to handle any sales that may arise.

The prints have been selected and the prints arrived two days ago.  Frames and other mounting materials have been ordered and through the power of the Internet I am able to track their progress across the USA for a scheduled 5 August delivery.

I have been using http://www.adorama.com/ in New York City for several years for prints as well as my other photography equipment needs.  I have never been disappointed with their products or service.  I have even had them ship items to me in Thailand.  The prints that arrived the other day were sharp and correctly colored just as all the other prints that I have ordered over the years.

Only recently I have gotten into mounting and framing of my photographs.  After researching suppliers on the Internet, I selected http://www.documounts.com/ for my supplies.  Documounts has an extensive selection of frames, mats, and supplies required to display photographs.  Like Adorama, you are given a tracking number for your shipment.  I found that the pricing from Documounts to be very good and their customer service to be excellent.

This will be the first public display of my work and the process has been a learning experience.  Developing an exhibit, albeit a small exhibit, requires a great deal of work.

Based upon the three books that I have produced, I have developed a style for displaying my photographs.  As in my books, the photographs will be surrounded by a black mat.  The displayed photographs will be placed in black metal narrow frames to avoid distracting from the photograph as well as for economical considerations. Separate labels will be mounted below each of the framed photographs.  The labels mirror the style utilized in my books; black background, yellow lettered captions, and white lettering for information.

Prior to producing labels, I had to give a name to each piece of work and determine a price for the work.  Developing a price for your work can be quite daunting,  Photography discussion groups on the web are filled with people asking for help to price their work.  Fortunately I have had plenty of experience in pricing work related to construction projects so I did not have to seek assistance. However I did some research on what other people were charging for similar photographs and evaluated those prices against my wants and needs to develop my pricing.

Labels Created In Photoshop Elements


With names and prices determined, it was time to develop the individual labels.  I had read on the Internet that one person produced their labels using Photoshop.  I decided to try and make my labels out of Photoshop Elements, a watered down $100 version of the $600 Photoshop software program.  Using Photoshop Elements, I was able to create individual 1.5 inch high by 3.5 inch wide labels.  I created a jpeg file to print three labels per 4 inch by 6 print.  When all the labels were completed, I uploaded the files to a flash drive, drove to a nearby CVS Pharmacy, and printed the photographs on a Kodak Kiosk.  In five minutes I had my prints and was ready to move on to the next step of the process.

The 4x6 prints were glued to 3/16"  thick foam board using Scotch Craft Stick.  After allowing the glue to thoroughly dry, I cut the individual 1-1/2" x 3-1/2" labels using a metal straight edge and an Exacto knife.  The edges of the foam board labels were painted with black acrylic craft paint.  After the paint was dry, two small circles of double edged sticky foam were affixed to each label to complete the process of making individual labels for each displayed photograph.

The next order of business was to design the layout for the display.  This required taking measurements of the space and drafting a scaled drawing to develop the arrangement for the photographs.  Either through dumb luck, beginner's luck or Divine intervention, the layout was rather easy as well as symmetric - and more importantly fit the available space!

Discussion groups on the Internet are filled with tales of anger, disappointment, and betrayal regarding people doing business.  The standard question that is sent in response to the initial posting is usually along the lines of "What does the contract say?"  invariably the original poster acknowledges that there was no formal contract.  Having dealt with many claims and a few of construction lawsuits over the years, I understand how important and helpful a contract can be when conducting business.  I am hoping to avoid a personal tale of woe so it was back to the Internet to research contracts and consignment agreements.  Once the research was completed, I developed a proposed contract for the exhibit that is intended to meet the needs and concerns of both parties involved.

It appears that the exhibit will be set up by the middle of August.  I will announce the location when it is available for viewing.

In the mean time I have made a submittal to a local gallery involving my original concept for an exhibition.